This At First Blush Gin Sour is light, subtly fruity and sweet with a luscious texture, making it a gin and absinthe cocktail that is extremely friendly to everyone.

Gin Sour Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon absinthe rinse depending on the size of your glass – I used St. George Absinthe Verte

• 1/2 teaspoon water     

• 1 sugar cube   

• 1.5 ounces gin – if you want to learn more about gin, check out this post

• 1/2 ounce lemon juice

• 1/2 ounce plum shrub – I used Inna Jam’s Santa Rosa Plum Shrub, or you could make your own shrub – this Strawberry Shrub with Basil and Peppercorn would be nice     

• 1 egg white    

Raw Egg Concerns + Aquafaba Substitute

Using egg whites in cocktails goes way back and gives cocktails a luscious texture that makes them incredibly smooth going down.

I usually suggest egg white cocktails to people who have trouble with the harshness and acidity of most alcoholic beverages.

However, raw egg does scare some people. If you can’t stomach consuming raw egg or if you are vegan, you can always substitute the egg white with aquafaba.

What is Aquafaba?

Aquafaba (“water-bean”) is the thick liquid that’s in canned chickpeas. Usually, it ends up being tossed, but it is an excellent egg substitute.

In cocktails, it creates an excellent foam that would normally come from shaking a drink with an egg white in it.

If you would like to use aquafaba instead of an egg white, substitute 1 tablespoon aquafaba for 1 egg white.

Gin Sour Instructions

• Put a coupe glass in the freezer for 5 minutes to get it nice and cold.          

• Once the glass is chilly, add a 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon absinthe and swirl and roll the glass, getting a nice coating of absinthe all over the surface. Dump any excess and set aside.       

• In a cocktail shaker, muddle the sugar cube and water together until the sugar is dissolved.          

• Add the gin, lemon juice, shrub, and egg white (or aquafaba). Shake vigorously to emulsify the egg.       

• Add the ice and shake vigorously again until the shaker is ice cold and sweating.  

• Strain into the prepared glass and enjoy.       

Absinthe Inspired Food and Drink Pairings

This Galentine’s or Valentine’s Day, I had planned on creating a simple cocktail and main dish pairing. I mean this At First Blush Gin Sour really is the perfect cocktail for the holiday.

Drinking a glass of wine with a homemade meal always feels like a treat. But drinking a cocktail with a main dish that is built around a common theme feels even fancier.

But recipe testing took too long and I didn’t get everything done in time. However, there’s always next year and March 5th is National Absinthe Day, which is the ingredient that all the recipes are built around.

Here are the recipes that were created to go with each other:

• Caramelized Fennel & Onion Skillet Pizza Recipe
• Caramelized Onion and Fennel Dip with Goat Cheese
• Sazerac Drink Recipe
• At First Blush Gin Sour

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At First Blush Gin Sour

This At First Blush Gin Sour is light, subtly fruity and sweet with a luscious texture, making it a gin and absinthe cocktail that isextremely friendly to everyone.

Course Beverages

Keyword absinthe, food and drink pairings, gin

Prep Time 7 minutes

Servings 1

Author Megan Wells

Ingredients

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon absinthe rinse the amount depends on the size of your glass
• 1/2 teaspoon water
• 1 sugar cube
• 1 and 1/2 ounces gin
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce plum shrub I used Inna Jam’s Santa Rosa Plum Shrub
• 1 egg white*

Instructions

1. Put a coupe glass in the freezer for 5 minutes to get it nice and cold.
2. Once the glass is chilly, add a 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon absinthe and swirl and roll the glass, getting a nice coating of absinthe all over the surface. Dump any excess and set aside.
3. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the sugar cube and water together until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Add the gin, lemon juice, shrub, and egg white. Shake vigorously to emulsify the egg.
5. Add the ice and shake vigorously again until the shaker is ice cold and sweating.
6. Strain into the prepared glass and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

If you are vegan or don’t want to consume raw egg, substitute 1 tablepoon aquafaba (the liquid contained in cans of chickpeas) to 1 egg white in the recipe.